Archive for June 18th, 2010

RAHIM YAR KHAN, June 16: Dozens of farmers from Sadiqabad tehsil have protested shortage and theft of irrigation water, alleging that irrigation and police departments are not taking any action. The protesters gathered in front of the DCO office here on Wednesday and chanted slogans against the irrigation and police departments.

Allah Ditta and Muhammad Azhar said due to theft, farmers of Chaks 157, 159, 161, 162 and 163/P at the tail-end of Seena Waar minor canal could not sow cotton for two consecutive seasons. They said they had informed irrigation superintending engineer (SE) Mohabbat Khan Baloch, but to no avail.

Chaudhry Muhammad Arshad and Allah Wasaya said the farmers of Chaks 153, 154, 155, 156 and 157 and Ghari Baiger village could not get irrigation water due to theft from Chandrami minor canal ahead of Adam Sahaba head with the connivance of irrigation officials.

They alleged that influential politicians had got transferred SE Chaudhry Abdul Majeed in whose tenure there was no water theft.

They alleged that influential farmers of Chaks 147, 148, 151, 152 and 158/P would steal irrigation water with the connivance of irrigation employees.

They said they had also pointed out water thieves many times, but the irrigation department had not taken any action in this regard.

The protesters met Finance and Planning EDO Babar Ammam Babar who assured them that their grievances would be resolved.

Later, SE Baloch also held a meeting with the protesters and took a two-day time to solve their problem.

MULTAN, June 15: The eviction of hundreds of Dhundi estate’s tenants was suspended on Tuesday after fierce protest and road blockade by them in Rajanpur, Dawn has learnt. Revenue Department officials aided by police faced resistance from the tenants, who also claim the ownership of 538 acres of Dhundi and Bruceaaba estates. The Lahore High Court, Multan bench, has ordered the eviction.

Peasants say they have been cultivating the land for decades as their forefathers made the barren land cultivable.

Tenants say that in 1980, then Rajanpur assistant commissioner Usama Maud allotted the land to 42 people, including his relatives and other influential people.

They said the allotment holders had tried to get the possession of land through applications to various authorities after concealing the facts. In 1994, the allotment holders had approached the Rajanpur deputy commissioner after getting decision in their favour from the Board of Revenue.

On July 27, 1994, they said, then deputy commissioner Tariq Javed Afridi in a letter to the Dera Ghazi Khan commissioner said the allotment was not legally approved.

The allotment holders moved several legal forums and courts, including the Lahore High Court, and got the land ownership.

They said that Layyah DCO Javed Iqbal, also one of the 42 allotment holders, was using his office to get the possession of the land. Tenants claim they were too poor to fight the costly litigation.

They demanded that the government allot the land to them as they had turned barren land into cultivable lush green estate.

They also alleged it was an attempt to settle the people of upper Punjab in the Seraiki region.

They said they would resist the eviction and demolition of their houses.